Leeds United's 3-0 defeat at the hands of Frank Lampard's Everton side on Saturday afternoon was a humbling one for several reasons.
The Whites' limp display was duly punished and from the first whistle, the Toffees maintained an advantage over proceedings.
Lampard named Alexander Iwobi, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Anthony Gordon as his attacking quartet in something of a throwback 4-4-2 formation.
The newly-installed Everton manager typically prefers a three-man defence but saw his hand forced by injuries to Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey over the past week.
Everton's decision to start with such a front-foot line-up played into their hands, pinning Leeds in their own third whenever they had the ball, turning over possession close to Leeds' goal and eventually going a goal up within ten minutes.
A key component in the opening goal was 20-year-old Liverpudlian Anthony Gordon.
The Everton academy product played a neat reverse ball into the Leeds penalty area for Donny van de Beek to latch onto. His low cross was diverted away from the imminent threat of Calvert-Lewin, but fizzed up into the air for Seamus Coleman to head into an unguarded net.
Gordon's movement to escape the attention of Leeds' defensive setup facilitated the move which produced the game's first goal.
At 20 years of age, Gordon is one of the youngest and more inexperienced members of the Toffees' squad, although he has been in fine form this season.
Already something of a fan favourite due to his Evertonian roots, the midfielder enjoyed his run-out at Goodison Park versus Leeds.
On the bench, sat Dele Alli, Anwar El Ghazi and Andros Townsend - players with seniority in abundance compared to Gordon.
But, it was the 20-year-old Lampard chose from the start and it was a decision which paid dividends throughout the match.
Contrast this with Leeds United's half-time substitutions which brought Tyler Roberts into the fold ahead of Joe Gelhardt, who many supporters would have preferred off the bench.
In just over 300 Premier League minutes, Gelhardt has won two penalties, scored once and registered one assist for Leeds United.
On the other hand, Tyler Roberts has amassed over 100 appearances for the Whites, but still sits on just nine goals.
Marcelo Bielsa's decision to repeatedly select Roberts, putting him in the firing line, is one suspected to be motivated by an unspoken hierarchy in the Argentine's mind.
Gelhardt is fourth in the Leeds United centre-forwards' pecking order. Tyler Roberts is ahead of him, as are Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford in reverse order.
Many supporters feel Gelhardt has usurped Roberts through his performances in the Premier League this season.
The Welshman has registered five goal contributions (2 goals; 3 assists) in 2,250 top flight minutes.
Including Gelhardt's penalty wins as assists, the 19-year-old has recorded four goal contributions (1 goal; 3 assists) in just 316 top flight minutes by comparison.
Of course, there is nuance attached to Bielsa's decision in selecting Roberts over Gelhardt, particularly in yesterday's case.
The structure of the game meant it was unlikely any centre-forward would have had a meaningful impact on the second half - Leeds were simply too disjointed and Everton too fierce.
For example, the Toffees made 76 pressures inside Leeds' defensive third, as per FBRef.com, more than in any game under Rafa Benitez or Carlo Ancelotti.
Moving forward, questions will continue to be asked of the unspoken Leeds hierarchy, particularly if Gelhardt is restricted from playing for the U23s, only to be left on the substitutes' bench during first-team fixtures.
Bielsa's persistence and patience with Roberts is admirable, as is the 23-year-old's attitude despite repeated frustration in front of goal, but as Anthony Gordon demonstrated against Leeds, there comes a time when the optimal choice is not siding with seniority.
